The Holy Spirit and His Gifts | Page 160

At some time or another, those who are called to the fivefold ministry would have to be equipped with certain gifts of the Spirit in order to stand in certain offices. Therefore, those people have more consistent manifestations of these spiritual gifts than others in the Body of Christ. But no one will have all the gifts operating through him. Too many times, we try to be a "jack-of-all-trades and master of none," spiritually speaking, instead of just staying in our places and using whatever gift God has given us, or instead of functioning in the ministry to which we were called. For example, many times people try to do the other fellow's ministry or job, or try to be used in a gift that someone else is used in. I have heard people say, "If they can do that, so can I." That causes confusion in the Body of Christ, and will eventually lead to error. By way of illustration, you would really have confusion in your own physical body if your foot said, "If the eye can see, so can I." Of course, your foot can't see; it can't fulfill the role of the eye. It's not supposed to. And conversely, the eye cannot fulfill the role of the foot. I once attended a meeting conducted by Howard Carter, and after the service, a woman came up to him and said, "Brother Carter, I want you to pray for my healing." He said to her, "Sister, go see my wife. I seldom lay hands on the sick for healing. That's not my ministry. I know any of us can pray in faith for those who are sick if no one else is present. "But God uses my wife in the gifts of healings," Rev. Carter explained. "That gift operates through her; it doesn't operate through me. God uses me in getting people filled with the Holy Ghost. I lay hands on people to be filled with the Spirit and seldom does one fail to receive. That's my ministry. "The gift of faith operates through me, "Rev. Carter continued," and I impart the Holy Ghost to people through the laying on of hands. I sel